Freed whale ‘unlikely to survive’
A SMALL whale stranded along the River Thames was unlikely to survive and make it back to the open sea, rescuers have said.
Crowds gathered at Teddington Lock in the southwest of the capital yesterday to catch a glimpse of the whale, a minke between 10ft (3m) and 13ft (4m) long.
It came after hundreds of people gathered at Richmond Lock and Weir on Sunday after the animal became stuck on the lock’s boat rollers.
The whale was found to be in poor health and was put on pontoons to make it more comfortable on Sunday night as it was decided then that it should be put to sleep.
But it managed to get free and back into the river.
Julia Cable, national co-ordinator of the British Divers Marine Life Rescue, said the whale is now completely stationary in the water up against a wall in the area of Teddington Lock.
She said last night that the animal is “as good as stranded”, adding: “It’s not really going to come down to a rescue now.
“Its condition is deteriorating. It’s not acting the way it did last night.
“It’s basically lost any energy that it had left in it.
“It’s also got another stranding injury which all adds up really.”